Sourcing knitted ballet leotards from China

Duty by fibre composition

Heading 6114 covers other knitted or crocheted garments. This guide concerns ballet leotards within that heading, rather than every garment sold as a bodysuit. Cotton and man-made fibre styles are the main purchasing options; wool and other textile materials have separate lines. See the wider knitted garments guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 October 2026, all listed lines carry 12% duty for goods from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded. The tariff attaches cat and dog fur and seal-product import controls, plus CITES on the other-material lines. Cat and dog fur products are banned. Seal-product bans cover products derived from pinnipeds; ask your customs broker to confirm any exemption and documentation before ordering unusual animal-derived trims.

CITES specimens need an import permit; ask your broker to confirm the applicable requirement before sourcing listed species from China. Specify the fibres and any animal-derived components, then confirm the commodity code for the actual garment. Do not choose a code solely from the factory's description.

Torso fit, stretch and lining

Specify the outer fabric and lining separately, including fibre composition, fabric weight, stretch direction and recovery after washing. Set the neckline, back depth, sleeve or strap construction, leg opening and gusset design. For pale colours, approve opacity with the fabric stretched over the body.

Approve a full size set using torso girth, chest, waist and hip measurements. Check movement with arms raised and during bends, rather than judging a flat sample alone. Fibre composition must be labelled; confirm the appropriate fibre names with Trading Standards. Agree size markings and care instructions as part of the label artwork.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 knitted ballet leotards for a dancewear business, illustrative only under 6114 30 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £17,200. Duty at 12% is £2,064. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £19,264, so it is £3,852.80. Import taxes total £5,916.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,064 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit: measure each sampled size against the approved chart, including torso girth, strap length and leg openings; compare with the retained fit sample.

Fabric: compare bulk fibre test results with the label, stretch pale fabric to check opacity, and wash samples to assess shrinkage and recovery.

Seams: stretch crotch, side and underarm seams; check for broken stitches, skipped stitches, bulky joins and scratchy seam ends.

Finish: check lining coverage, gusset placement, elastic tension and colour consistency, then compare size labels and carton contents with the packing list at inspection.

What goes wrong

A leotard can fit at the chest yet pull painfully at the shoulders because the torso is too short. Tight leg elastic digs in, loose straps slip, and pale fabric becomes transparent when stretched. Approve these details on worn samples before releasing the bulk order.

Seams split when thread and stitch construction cannot stretch with the fabric. Lining can restrict movement even when the outer fabric stretches well, while poor recovery leaves the seat and neckline baggy after washing. Compare washed bulk samples with the approved garment.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.